The Sense of Insecurity and the Language of Pinter’s Absurd Play the Birthday Party

Abstract

This article introduces Pinter as an early practitioner of the Theater of the Absurd who clearly omits melodramatic and supernatural elements without any loss of mystery, interest or horror. The sense of horror and terror is still preserved by several other devices such as pauses and silences, which turned out to be his hallmarks. The absurdity used by Pinter can sometimes be funny and we can laugh at it, but his idea is to reflect how people felt in their own realities. He uses this comical way to laugh at everything, even at tragic situations. Another important feature of this play is the way how words are used as weapons to avoid being hurt and not to reveal the past. They evade direct communication so that they can evade the past and protect their territory. We will explain how territory is inevitably related to personal autonomy and security and how the characters achieve this through their language. The funny and comic side of the play is revealed and interpreted differently at the end of the play. It will change our view point of looking at things.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n11p384